Live From Worlds – Women’s Subdivision 9

The “I mean they should be good, but…” phenomenon of this Japanese team is about to be answered. Right now, GB is at 161.963, and that’s the score to beat to feel good about making the team final. Similarly, Spain is at 159.021, which is the score to beat to feel good about making the Olympics.

Kajita – FX – 2.5 to front full, pulled out a stick on that despite being a bit low – simpler twisting elements but she’s hitting them – double held leg turn is probably around – double tuck, chest down but hit

Surprised that Garcia isn’t in the bars lineup for Mexico – but Gutierrez leads off hitting her piked jaeger and double front 1/2 out.

12.666 for Gutierrez. Ana Lago – UB – Shap to pak, some legs apart – van leeuwen, clean – gaint full to huge gienger, well caught but very short hs after it – then looks like she clipped her feet on the low bar – FTDT is very high and far, step.

Teramoto – FX – drops heel on double L attempt – pike full in, chest well down but only a small hop – 1.5 through to 2.5, good control – wolf double – front 2/1, just a tad under-rotated – switch ring – really nice completion on switch leap full – double pike, stumble backward, she kept it in bounds because she’s so tiny, but a few significant lunges, which is a shame because the middle of this routine was so nice.

Sigh. 12.566

Stuck DLO from Frida Esparza on bars. The rest of the lineup was held in the 12s, but this surely won’t be.

Matsumura – FX – triple turn – 3/1 to punch front, small hop – L turn 1.275 – 2.5 to front full, very deep landing but she does keep it to her feet – double tuck, good control, chest up, only small hop.

13.766 for Esparza gets Mexico into the 39s on bars.

12.933 for Matsumura. 38.665 for Japan on floor. That’s currently in 10th place among floor scores.

Vostruchovaite – BB – long pause before aerial to front tuck, no possible chance to land that and falls – switch to switch 1/2, pause before back tuck, lots of deductions in those switches – side somi, a bit of a lean – front layout full, small hop. 9.933

13.266 for Sugihara.Kajita – hits piked jaeger and Nabieva – pak – toe shap 1/2 – stalder – toe full – takes FTDT really close to the bar but hits it, step. She may have earned a spot to compete in the TF this year. 13.533 for this one.

Very strong DLO from Ana Lago – full in, bounce back – split leap full – heel drops right at the end of her double L turn – double pike, hands down

Teramoto – UB – inbar 1/2 to piked jaeger, caught – inbar full to very high gienger but caught very close to the bar – 1/2 turn to jaeger, fine – bail to toe shoot – FTDT, very strong landing. 13.966 even with the close catch.

Moreno – FX – doubel double tucked, lands it, chest well down with a step – DLO, bounce back – split leap full – switch side 1/2 – front full to a bit of an aborted stag that didn’t get far off the ground – wolf turn double is very silly as she plant-stands-up her extended leg – double pike, short with a large stagger. 12.300

Hatakeda – UB – inbar 1/2 to piked jaeger, Ricna, caught – bail is totally crooked whne she caught but pulled it back – a dead hang on high – FTDT, hop back, not her very strongest.

Gutierrez – FX – front full through to 3/1, corkscrew legs throughout but landed, hop to the side – double L attempt, not sure I’d give that as a horizontal position – 1.5 through to double tuck, small hop – 2.5 to layout, a little whipped over but fine.

13.733 for Hatakeda. 41.323 for Japan, which once again is…fine? But they’re going to have to be LEGIT on beam to make the team final.

11.500 for Orrego on beam – Diaz follows her, finishing with punch layout full and a hop

To have a shot at making TF, Japan needs to go 39.2 ish on beam. So far, China, France, and Canada have reached that on beam. There is also the chance that a total beam meltdown would put them behind Spain, but it would have to be a meltdown.

After a 10.833 for Salas, Montoya has the final beam routine of the rotation – she hits her loso series then balks on a leap and just does a frog hop – front aerial right off the beam.

Teramoto – BB – just does survive her wolf turn, makes some contact with the beam but keeps going – double turn, hit – aerial to split to straddle – onodi is quite nice – switch – side somi – bhs loso series, very solid – side aerial, calmly done – 2.5, some legs, small hop. Good routine. Two important hits with team qualification to a home Olympics on the line. 12.966

Alexa Moreno hits her rudi, bounce back fairly large, but good height and completion. Smaller bounce on her Tsuk double, another good hit

Kajita – BB – aerial to split ring, nice – bhs loso series, check – switch ring – y spin, large break, bend at the hips – side aerial, another check to the side – 2/1, college stick. Some breaks but she stayed on to clinch Olympic qualification.

Moreno moves into first on vault.

Matsumura will do the final beam instead of Sugihara – goes for a round-off tuck full! Stays on the beam with a leg-up check – switch to split – aerial, small wobble – switch ring, 70 arm waves – side aerial – side somi – 2.5, crossover lunge to the side

12.633 for Matsumura. Japan comes in behind Belgium. Looks like they’ll make the Olympics, but potentially as the final qualifier depending on how Brazil does.

Chuso update: She lost two spots in the AA race and now sits 23rd. Current projection is that 30 will make it through with the unused event final places added in. I see maybe four people who can pass her left, so it’s starting to look good for Chuso. She got some real help today from some misses.

I want them to qualify because Murakami, Sugihara, and Teramoto all absolutely should be at the Olympics (in their home country no less). And I’m not that worried about it. But I also really want Japan’s administration to rethink their team selection strategy.

German is the funniest language in the world because it is so. darn. literal.

Also, to a native English speaker even the simplest German words are hilarious. For example, “krank” means sick. Krank, you guys. Krankenwagen is ambulance – the sick wagon – and Krankenhaus is hospital – the sick house. Absolute gold.

Honestly, this specific Japanese team very obviously never had what it took for TF and I always thought Spencer thought way, way too highly of them. No Mai, no Sae, Aiko not at full strength, otherbetter routines left at home – they made their bed and were a counting fall or two from fully laying in it. Hopefully this is a lesson for them and their absolutely ridiculous selection process. First time in mote than a decade that they miss TF, and it’s absolutely deserved for the federation, if not the gymnasts themselves.